Refrigerating apparatus



Aug. 23, 1927.

w. w. CONNER l REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed July 14. 1926 vwentoz 53W75Ma @Hom/t S. g

UNITED WILLIAM W. coNNEn,

STATES PATENT OFFICE.,

or SEWAEEN, NEW JERSEY.

REFRIGERATING AIEIIEA'RA'JJUS.A

Application r1 his invention relates tol refrigerating apparatus andmore especially to that type of apparatus in which a 'gas such asammonia is compressedg passed through a condenser 5 .where it isliquefied, conductedl in liquid form to a receiver llowed to expand in`a refrigerating room or'ice-making tank, and

the cycle repeated.

In an apparatus of this type, the ammonia often becomes contaminatedwith permanent or non-condensible gases Which accumulate in the systemdue to air being drawn in Vthrough pipe leaks or stuiiing boxes on thelow pressure portion of the system and the decomposition of'lubricatingoilV in the coinpressor. It isalso possible that under certainconditions the decomposed to some When contaminated, the efficiency theapparatus is decreased, and it is tomary to vent the permanent gases.escaping lgases may manent gas.

refrigerant itself may be extent, forming a perthe refrigerant is thusof operation of cus- The and usually do contain an'appreciable amount ofammonia vapor L' which, if allowed would reduce the tem, therein andwould tions of fresh refri to escape from the sysamount of refrigerantrequire continuous addigerant.

An object of this invention is a simple.

efficient and inexpensive the contaminating gases from for removingpurging apparatus the system without loss of an appreciable amount ofthe refrigerant and which may be quickly and easily attached to astandard refrigerating system.

According to the invention, the apparatus .comprises a purging thereceiver of the thereto that vapor chamber located above system vand soconnected in the receiver may rise intothe .chamber and liquid in thechamber will drain bygravity into the receiver.

Inv

the chamber is providedva cooling or expansiony coil through refrigerantperature in which ja portion of the is circulated to maintain the temthechamber low enoughl to condense any ammonia gas carried into the chamberwith the non-condensible gases.

The purging toother parts o f collected elsewhere chamber may also beconnected the system sothat gases than in the receiver may the valvesare shut off )plied from the receiver mea :ruiy i4, 192e. serial No.122,291.

be purged and the condensed ammonia refiuxe-d to the receiver. From thepurging apparatus, a vent pipe ldischarges the nonconde-nsible gases.into a waterl bottle which 'provides a Visible indication of the vaporout interruption. When the condition of the ammonia is such as torequire purging, a

lvalve controlling the connection between the receiver and the chamberisopened and a valve controlling the flow of refrigerant to Vthe coolingcoil is opened. The gas and vapor vfrom the receiver flow through the.urging chamber, the aininonia gas being condensed thereinv and drainingback to the receiver through the same pipe through which the gases areled from the receiver to the chamber and the non-condensed gases passingout through the discharge to the water bottle. When the appearance ofthe bubbles in the water bottle indicate that all the noii-condensedgases have been vented. but up until this time no regulation isrequired. If it is desired to purge the refrigerant from another portionof thesystem, the gas and vapor therefrom are led to the purging chamberwhere the ammonia is condensed and drained into the receiver. Otherobjects, tages of the invention will be apparent from the followingspecification and accoinpanying drawings., wherein- Figure 1 is-adiagrammatic view of la part of a refrigerating system equipped with apurger embodying the invention; and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail of the purging chamber. f

represents the receiver of a refrigerating system to which liquidammoniaunder pressure is supplied through a pipe 11 from the condenser12 to which ammonia in vapor form has been `supplied through the pipe 13from the usual compressor (not shown)v of such a system. Liquid ammoniais supfrigerating room or ice-making tank (not shown)` through apip-e-14, a T valve and novel features and advan- 10 to the usual rel a pipe16 leading from one of the branches of the valve. In the operation ofthis apparatus, ammonia gas at relatively high pressure andtemperatureis supplied from the compressor to the condenser 12 Where itis reduced in temperature suiiiciently to render it liquid, after whichit is conducted into the receiver 10 by the pipe 11, the pressure stillbeing maintained. From the receiver 'the .refrigerant is led to therefrigerating room or ice-making coils Where it is allowed to expand,thereby cooling the room or coil. From the refrigerating room or coil,it is sucked into the compressor and the cycle .re-

-' `peatcd. While circulating throughthe system, `the ammonia becomescontaminated with certain fixed or non-condensible gases or air whichincreases the pressure in and decreases the elficiency of the system andwhich, in the absence lor any liquid traps in the system, collect in thetop of the re-` ceiver 10. l

A vent is provided for removing these gases from the receiver. Thisventl Comprises a chamber 1-7 supported above the top ot the receiver10. A-pipe 18 leads from the bottom of the chamber' 17 to a T litting19to one arm of which iscounected a pipe 20 througha valve 21, the pipe20 being in communication with the top of the receiver 10. A pipe 22leads from thetop of the chamber 17 and discharges into a water bottle23, a valve 24 being provided in the pipe 22. Within the chamber 17 isarranged an expansion or cooling coil 25, one end of which isconnectedthrough a valve 26 and pipe 27 with the suction side of thecompressor of the system' and the other end of which is connectedthrough pipe 28, valve 29 and valve 30 With the remaining arm of the Tvalve 15. Within the coil 25 is arranged a series of baiiles 31 by meansof which the escaping gases and vapors are directedinto contact With theturns of the coil. A gauge glass 32 is mounted on the chamber 17 so thatthe presence therein of liquid may be indicated. The chamber 17 isprovided With a layer 33 of insulating material.

When it is desired to purge from the system the contaminating gasescollected in the upper part of the receiver 10, the vvalve 21 is opened,thereby permitting the contami.

nating gases and any vaporized ammonia contained therein to rise intothe chamber 17. The valves 26, 29 and 30 are opened to permit the ow ofrefrigerant from the receiver 10 through the coil 25 and to the suc?ytion side of the compressor, the" valve 29 being cracked and acting asan expansion valve. The refrigerant in the coil'25 reduces thetemperature in the purging chamber 17 sufficient-ly that any ammoniavapor carried olf With vthe contaminating gases is con-l densed. Thecondensate reiuxes through the pipes 18 and 2,0 into the receiver 10 andadditional gas and vapor How in. The valve 24 is cracked to permit thenon-condensible gases to iiow off through the pipe 22 into the Water inthe bottle 23. The discharge of vapor and gas from the receiver into thechamber and the removalof .the unconden'sible gases from the chamber arekept up without interruption until all the non-condensible gases havebeen purged from the receiver. This condition will be apparent fromobservation of the bubbles passing through the Water bottle or by theindication in the gauge glass 32 of liquid in the chamber 17. v Thevalves are then closed until further, purging is required.

Connections are' provided by means of which gases may be purged fromother parts of the system. For example, a' pipe 34 leads from the inletto the condenser 12 through a valve 35 to the valve 36 which isconnected to one arm of the T tting 19. By opening the valves 35 and 36and cracking the valve l 24, gases accumulating in the condenser may beconducted to the chamber 17. At the same time, the valve 21 is cracked,thereby permitting ammonia condensed in the 'chamber 17 to drain intothe receiver 10. The cracking of the valve 21 Will permit liquid todrain into receiver 10 Without permitting the iow of any appreciableamount of vapor or gas dueto the fact that the condenser and `receiverare subjected to the same pressure. It is apparent, of course, thatconnections may be made` to other parts of the system, if desired,whereby gas may be vented therefrom through the purging chamber 17.

To supply the system With fresh refrigerant, there is provided a supplypipe 37 communicating With the pipe 28 through a valve 38. Also a sightglass 39 is attached to the receiver by means of Which the level of theliquid refrigerant in the receiver 10 may be indicated.

With this apparatus, permanent gas collected in th-e system may beremoved there from Without any substantial loss of refrigerant. Anyvaporized ammonia carried olf With the non-condensible gases Will becondensed in the chamber 17 and -Will return tothe receiver by gravity.Because of the return of the condenspd refrigerant directly to the topof the receiver, the purging operation may be carried on continuouslyuntil such time as the system has been freed of the non-condensiblegases, which condition may be determined by observation of the sightglass 32 or the condition of the bubbles in the Water bottle 23. Littleor no attention to the apparatus is required during the purgingoperation, and it is not necessary to regulate the valves between thestarting and vcompletion of the operation. The condensed refrigerant isreturned to the system, thereby preventing loss thereof and therefrigerant utilized 1n condensing the ammonia is also returned to thesystem after its expansion.

The above-described apparatus which is of simple structure and of smallcost has proven highly efficient and has been used With great success inseveral large refrigerating installations. bodiment of the apparatus hasbeen disclosed herein, itis to be understood that various structuralchanges may be made Without departing in any Way from the spirit of theinvention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having I claim as new and desire to secure by ters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. In a refrigerating system, a receiver, a purging chamber supportedabove said rethus described my invention, vllieat ceiver, the top ofsaid receiver and the bot-` tom of said'purging chamberbeing in communication through a passageway of materially smaller cross section thansaid purging chamber, a cooling coil in said chamber, a conduit forsupplying refrigerant from a said receiver to said coil, and a ventfromA said chamber for uncondensed gases.

2. In a refrigeratingy system, a receiver, a purging chamber supportedabove said receiver, a cooling coil in said chamber, a conduit forsupplying refrigerant from said receiver to said coil, a. conduit ofsubstantially less cross section than said chamber connecting the bottomof the chamber and the top of the receiver, a ventvfrom said chamber foruncondensed gases, and a valve controlling each of said conduits.

3. In a refrigerating system a receiver, a purging chamber supportedabove said receiver, a cooling coil in .said chamber, a conduit forsupplying refrigerant from said receiver to said coil, a conduit ofsubstantially less cross section than said chamber connecting the top ofsaid receiver and the bottom of said chamber, a vent from said chamberfor unc-ondensed gases, a valve controlling each of said conduits and aconduit leading from the high pressure portion'of the system'A to saidchamber for conducting uncondensible gases thereto.

4. In a refrigerating system a. receiver, a purging chamber supported aove said receiver, a cooling coil insaid chamber, a conduit kforsupplying refrigerant from said receiver to said coil a conduit ofmaterially less crosshsection than said chamber leading from the bottomof the chamber into the top of the receiver, a conduit leading from thehigh pressure portion of said system to said chamber for conducting theuncondensible gases thereto and al vent from said chamber for theuncondensed gases.

5. In a refrigerating system, a receiver, a purging chamber supportedabove said receiver, a cooling coil in said chamber, a con- While aparticular em-` duit for supplying refrigerant from said receiver tosaid coil, a conduit of materially less cross section than said chamberleading from the bottom of saidk chamber into the top-of said. receiver,a vent from said chamber for uncondensed gases, and means for visiblyindicating the -character of the discharge through said vent.

6. In a refi'igerating system, a receiver, a purging chamber supportedabove said receiver, a cooling coil in said chamber, means to divert aportion of the refrigerant in liquid form in said system through saidcooling coil, a conduit of materially less cross section than saidchamber connecting the bottom of the chamber and the top of thereceiver, and a vent from said chamber for uncondensed gases.

7. In a refrigerating system, a receiver,va purging chamber supportedabove said receiver, a cooling coil in said chamber, means to divert aportion of the refrigerant in liquid form in said'system through saidcooling coila conduit of materially less cross section than said chamberconnecting the bottom of the chamber .and the top of the receiver, aconduit leading from the high pressure portion of said system to saidcham-` ber for conducting the uncondensible gases thereto, and a ventfrom said chamber for uncondensed gases.

8. In a refrigerating system, a receiver, a purging chamber supportedvabove said receiver, a cooling coil in said chamber, means to divert aportion of xthe refrigerant in liquid form in said systemthrough saidcooling `coil, a conduit of materially-less cross section than saidchamber connecting the bottom of the chamber and the top 'of thereceiver, a conduit leading from the high pressure portion 'of saidsystem to said chamber for conducting the uncondensible gases thereto, avent from said chamber for uncondensed gases, .and means for visiblyindleating the character of the discharge through said vent.

9. In a refrigerating system, a receiver, a purging chamber supportedabove such receiver, the top of said receiver and the bot` toni of saidpurging chamber being in communication through a passageway ofmaterially less cross section than said purging chamber, a cooling coilin said chamber, means .for supplying refrigerant to said cooling coil,and a vent from'said chamber for uncondensed gases. i

10. `In a refrigerating system, a receiver, a purging chambersupportedabove said re ceiver, a cooling coil in said chamber, means for suplying refiigerantto saidcooling coil, a con uit of materially lesscross section than said chamber connecting the bottom-of said lchamberandthe top of said receiver, means for conducting uncondensible gasesfrom the high pressure portion of said system to said chamber, and aventfrom said chamber for uncondensed Gases.

11. In a. retrigerating system a, receiver, a 5 purging chambersupported'above such receiver, the top of said receiver and the bottomof said purging chamber being in communication through a, passageway ofmaterially less cross section than said -purging chamber, a. coolingcoil in said chamber, means for supplying refrigerant tosaid c001- ingcoil, a, series of baffle platesvwithin said purging chamber and a ventfrom said chamber for uncoudensible gases.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

WiLLrAM W. CONNER.

